Tipra Motha protests over B’desh embankment construction, raises alarm on floods
The construction has created widespread concern in both Unakoti & South Tripura districts;
The protesters tried to march towards the India-Bangladesh border but were stopped by police. (Photo: @PradyotManikya/X)
Agartala, April 28: The Tipra Motha Party (TMP), a key ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), staged massive protests on Monday against the construction of embankments by the Bangladesh government along the India-Bangladesh border.
The protests, organised in South Tripura’s Belonia district headquarters, saw a large number of TMP supporters – both men and women – demanding the cessation of the embankment construction.
The protesters, carrying banners with slogans such as "We hate Bangladesh government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus”, attempted to march toward the India-Bangladesh border but were stopped by the police.
Heated arguments ensued between the demonstrators and the police as the protesters questioned why they were being prevented from reaching the border to express their opposition.
TMP's founder and Chief, Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarman, strongly criticised the Bangladesh government’s embankment projects, warning that they would endanger the district headquarters of Belonia and Kailashahar (Unakoti district headquarters).
“These embankments will flood several areas during the monsoon, including Belonia and nearby villages, causing significant damage to property,” Debbarman said.
Debbarman, who is also a former royal scion of the Manikya dynasty, previously urged the Centre to take a stronger stance towards Bangladesh, accusing the neighbouring country of supporting fundamentalist forces targeting Hindu minorities.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh government’s embankment reconstruction work has faced opposition from the Border Security Force (BSF) in Unakoti district.
However, construction has continued on a large embankment along the Bangladesh side of the border opposite Belonia in South Tripura.
The construction of these embankments has created widespread concern in both Unakoti and South Tripura districts.
Local residents fear that during the upcoming monsoon, vast areas of these districts could be inundated, resulting in severe damage to both government and private properties.
-IANS